For some time now….

Posted on | May 31, 2010 |

For a number of years I’ve been wondering about creating a learning center - one in which the emphasis is on growing human beings as thoughtful, creative, expressive individuals, while at the same time nurturing critical thinking skills.

Often ‘critical thinking’ is a buzz word that implies heartless analysis and the rejection of all that is not strictly ‘rational’.  This is a pity.  There is plenty in the world that we don’t yet understand, but to reject intuitions because they cannot be proven is about as limiting as anything one could imagine. What we need, instead, is to think carefully and critically about our own self-limiting beliefs, and to imagine possible ways forward that we can then consider with care.  Perhaps this should be re-labeled as ‘careful thinking’? It might be transformative.

Most of the world’s problems seem to stem from thinking in pre-conceived patterns. Just today news came that the Israelis boarded a  convoy of ships carrying aid to Palestinians.  At least 10 people were killed. Outrage in many countries.  Yet - who was the person who felt that lowering armed troops from helicopters onto ships loaded with volunteers was a good idea?  What sort of idiot notion was that?  There were many other options and of them all this was probably the very worst. Someone wasn’t thinking.

I don’t think one side is right or wrong. Perhaps both are wrong, or both right.  Who is to judge?  I just think that those people didn’t need to be killed.

We need more ‘Careful Thinking’.  Obviously.

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